Splitting machine



Oct. 11, 19 27.

A. E. SUTTIS "E AL SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1925 Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

UNITED. STATES nrnnn n. strains, or nnnvnss, Ann nnvrnnnsnnor LYNN, ivrassncnnsnrrs, A

SIGNORS TOTE-IE TURNER Tni nrns rcncnnvnnv ooiv ran nor'r'onrnnnnj name,

A -consoleArron on Mains.

ew rs Application filed June 19, 1925'.

This invention relates to cutting machines, and is illustrated as embodied. in an improved splitting machine of the band knife type. The invention is herein set forthwith particular reference to splitting blocks of cork composition, since it was developed as a result of our efforts to provide an improved machine by which the splitting of Such blocks might be facilitated. will be understood, however, that in various respects the invention is not limited toembodiment in a machine of the band knifetype or to'employment in cutting blocks of cork composition, but may be utilized to advantage in other types of machines and in operating upon other materials.

Machines of the band knife type are, in: several respects, admirably suited to the slicing of sheet material into layers. For example, such cutting machines are well adaptednot only for severing layers ofconsiderable thickness, but are capable of. cutting evenly very thin sheets from blocks of a wide variety of materials. However, the commercial forms of band knife machines are commonly employed in splitting operations upon flexible materials such, for instance, as hides and skins fresh from the liming pits. In such machines a work-supporting table and means for guiding the split portions of the work away from each other are so related that one layer or split portion is bent upwardly away from the plane of the knifc'at a considerable angle, and the other downwardly to an even greater degree. with no disadvantageous results since the material is sufficiently flexible to suffer no damage from the bending to which it is subjected during splitting operations. lVhcn it is attempted'to use such machines to split into layers sheets or blocks of relatively'in- .ble or frangible material, of which 'ln'ocks of cork composition furnish a typical example, such bending of the material is undesirable because of the liability of cracking or breaking the body portion of the material operated upon or the layer split off, or both.

in view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved machine adapted for splitting sheets or blocks without bending either the body portion of al o the layers splitbtf to such an "and: sirable in opera ing Serial No. 38,257.

upon. such relatively. inflexible and frangible.

material ascork composition.

To this end, the illustrated embodimen of the invention comprises a. splitting; machine of the band knife type provided; with, a work support and withsurfaces for guidingfthe layer which is being split oifand. the body portion of the material away from thefcutting edge of the knife on opposite; sides thereof, which are capable of sufficient relative adjustment to provide for movement of the body portion past the cutter without any substantial bending." Preferably, and as illustrated, this is accomplished by'the provision. of a work-supporting table adjust. able about the. axis of a feed-roll into a position in which its worl'r-supportin'g surface is in substantial parallelism with an adjacent work guiding surface and in spaced relation. to the plane of said workfguiding. surface. Thus, in operating upon'frangibl'e material such as blocks of. cork composition, insurance is provided that layers may be split. 01f without danger of. cracking or breaking the body portionof the material.

lVhile ordinarily, in operating upon blocks of cork composition, it is desired to split oil? layers which are relatively thin and are therefore often considerably more flexible and less liable to cracking and breaking than the'body portion of the material, there are definite limits to, the amount of bending to from a progressively diminishing block of material, improved means. is provided for securing with ease and accuracy adjustment of the work-supporting and feeding; means to move the block being operated upon nearer to the cutting edge of the knife as successive layers are split off, as well as to provide. for initial adjustment offthe block acc'ordin to its thickness. Preferably, the work-support e and feeding means are. arranged for si fn'eous adjustment toward: the

knife. Also, in. accordance with a further feature of the invention, the illustrated worksupporting table and feeding means are yieldingly pressed toward a gage operative to determine the thickness of the layers to be split, thus insuring that the work, regardless of its thickness and of irregularities in thickness, may be pressed toward the knife with substantially uniform pressure.

These and other features of the invention and novelcombinations of parts will be described in detail. in the specification and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 1

Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of a splitting machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view from above partly in section and showing the operating and adjusting means for the work feeding means, Fig. 2 being taken along the line 2, 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail View showing a piece of cork undergoing a splitting operation.

In the illustrated machine the means for cutting the material comprises an endless belt knife cutter 10 carried by two Wheels 12 rotatably mounted in bearings at eachv a more detaileddescription of the parts of a. commercial belt knife splitting machine reference may be had to United States Letters Patent No. 626,858 granted June 13, 1899, upon application of A. A. Chilson. Preferably, and as shown, the knife jaw 16 and the retaining member 18 are beveled off at a gentle inclination so as to present divergent guiding surfaces 20, 22 respectively for guiding the body portion of the material and the layer split therefrom in diverging directions without causing excessive bending of the material along the line of cut. Preferably and as shown the angle included between the guiding surfaces 20 and 22 does not exceed 40 which is within the limit of safetywith respect to the bending of the split away from the body of the material. It Will be understood that the retaining member 18 is bolted to the knife jaw 16 in proper spaced relation thereto so as not to clamp upon the belt knife cutter 10.

Means is provided in the illustrated machine for gaging the thickness of the layer to the cut from the body of material, the said gaging means comprising a. gage roll 24 mounted in the head or beam 26 and extending along a line above and in parallel rela tion to the cutting edge of the cutter. preventing lateral movement of the gage roll 24 there is provided a pair of plates 28 having longitudinally extending edge surfaces for engaging with the gage roll 24, the said plates 28 being bolted to the beam 26, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Mounted in the beam 26 is a backing roll 30 which contacts with the upper sur face of the gage roll 24 rotatably so as not to cause undesirable friction between the two rolls while at the same time the backing roll supports the gage roll against bending along its middle portions. Since the gage roll 24, the plates 28 and the backing roll 30 are all mounted on the beam 26, these parts retain their relative positions during adjustment of the beam 26 up or down in a vertical direction to cause the gage roll to approach or recede from the plane of the cutting edge of the belt knife cutter 10. By thus adjust- For ing the gage roll the thicknesses of the layers one at each end of the feed roll, each block 38 being yieldingly supported by a spring 40 located within a chamber in a supporting member or carrier 42. The tension of the spring 40 may be adjusted by proper manipulation of vertically adjustable members 44 in the form of nuts threaded upon a screw threaded bolt extending upwardly therethrough. For limiting upward movement of the block 38 within the chamber of the supporting member or carrier 42 a pair of pins 46 (Fig.2) are threaded through the wall of the carrier 12 to project into slots in the opposite sides of the block 38 so that the blocks and feeding roll may yield downwardly but at the same time have a limit set to their upward movement under the pressure of the spring 40'. Cl amped to a circular reduced portion of the block 38 is a clamp extension member 50 integral with or fixedly secured to a table 52. It will be understood that the table 52 moves with the feeding roll as the latter moves toward and from the gage roll 24 under the influence of the springs 40 and of the work. Hence there is no displacement of the table and feed roll relatively to each other during their movements of adjustment in the vertical direction. Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the opening in the clamp member 50 will be plainly observed and it will be understood that the mg and for'feeding the work in a direction 1 table 52 may be adjusted to vary its inclination by loosening the clamping means, adjusting the table with respect to the two blocks 38, and then again tightening the clamping means to hold the table in adjusted position. As shown, the table 52 is adjusted preferably to bring its upper work supporting surface into a plane substantially parallel with the surface 20 of the knife aw 16 so that there is no bending of the relatively thick body of material from which layers are being cut. However, the table 52 may be so adjusted as to require a certain amount of bending of the material which passes below the knife thus reducing the degree of bending of the part which passes above the knife. While in the illustrated machine the table 52 is adjustable to vary it's angular relationship to the guiding surfaces 20, 22, it is obvious that broadly speaking, the importance of the relationship between the table and the guiding surfaces resides in the relative adjustability of these parts to secure the desired results. Since the guiding surfaces 20, 22 bear a definite angular relation to the cutter 10, it is clear that adjustment of the work support to vary the inclination of the work on the support to the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter also varies the inclination of the work to the work guiding surfaces 20, 21.

In order that the table 52 and the feeding roll 36 may be adjusted in a vertical direction to accommodate pieces of work of various thicknesses, means is provided for moving the supporting member or carrier 42 with that ease and accuracy which is necessary for efficient operation of the machine. In the construction shown, this means comprises a rack bar secured to the carrier 42 and'arrange-d to be constantly in mesh with a pinion 62 secured to a shaft 64 mounted in bearings in slide members 66. Keyed to this same shaft 6s isa worm gear which is constantly in mesh with a worm 72 secured to a shaft 74 mounted in suitable bearings carried by the machine frame. Upon turning a handle 78 secured to the shaft 74 rotation of the shaft 64 is obtained which, through the connections described, effects up and down movements of the rack 60 and thus of the supporting member or carrier 4-2 and the parts carried thereby. As shown most clear ly in Fig. 20f the drawings, a collar 80 adjustably secured to the shaft 74 is provided with an indicator scale which may be divided off in measurement units such, for instance, as sisteenths of an inch so that upon adjustment of the shaft to bring one of the indicator lines after another in alinement with an indicator line 82 on the stationary bearing member 84, proper adjustment of the table and of the feed roll in a vertical direction may be secured by a single, accurately controlled movement of the shaft M its hand wheel 78. The pitch'of the worm 72 is such that no reverse movement of the worm cantake place no matter what pressure is exerted on the rack "bar 60 by the weight onthe table and on the feed roll 36. Hence the worm serves also as a means for locking the table and feed roll in adjusted position. 7 I

Other means is provided for adjusting the feeding wheel 36 -and the table 52 in a plane parallel to the plane of the cutting edge of the knife 10 and in directions toward and from the cutting edge of the knife, the said means comprising, in the construction shown, a screw threaded member having a handle 92 and mounted for rotation in abearing 9st secured to the machine frame or to any other stationary part. Rotation of the member 90 which is screw threaded into an interiorly screw threaded member 96 secured to the slide '66 results in movement f the slide 66 toward or from the handle or member 92. In other words,rotation of the handle member results in moving the slide 66 in horizontal directions toward the front or toward the back of the machine. Since the slide 66 carries the supporting member or carrier -12, it is clear that ad justment of the slide 66'results in adjustment also of the carrier 42 and of the feeding roll 36 and of the table 52. By this arrangement the distance of the feeding roll with respect to the cutting edge of the'cutter 10 may be adjusted to secure the best results under various conditions. Ordinarily the line joining the-centerfsof the gage roll 24 and the feed roll 36 will beat a right angle to the plane of the cutter 10.

Power means is provided for causing rotation of the feeding roll 36in the feeding direction, said means comprising in the construction shown a toothed wheel 100 (Fig. secured to one end of the shaft of the'roll 36, the toothed wheel being engaged by a chain 102 which also iassesaround-a toothed wheel 104: on the end of a counter shaft supported by a bearing 106 on the machine frame, the other end of the counter shaft carrying a second toothed frame, the other end of the counter shaft carrying a second toothed wheel 108 about which passes a chain 110 to a toothed wheel 111 on a power shaft adapted to be driven throughgears leading back to a power pulley 112 (Fig.1).

Upon reference to the drawings it will be understood that adjustment of the table 52 and of the feeding wheel 36 simultaneously in a vertical direction may be made to take careof work of various thicknesses and that no locking means is necessary, since the worm 72 is itself a locking means as well as the primary adjusting means. Adjustment for determining the thickness of the layer tobe cut by the cutter is provided for as already described,

the beam 26 which carriesthe gage roll 24, it being obvious that the distance of the gage roll 24: from the'plane of the cutting edge of the cutter determines the thickness of the layer to be cut from the material. Having made these adjustments and determined 7 also the proper adjustment of the feed roll 36 with respect to the cutter 10 by means of the hand wheel 92, the operator may begin cutting operations. by presenting a piece of work such as a block of cork C (Fig. t) to the feeding means, comprising the feeding roll 36, and the gage roll 34 which is free to turn and which does turn through frictional contact wit-h the cork to assist in feeding the work to the cutter; As the top layer is cut from the cork it, being relatively thin and flexible, moves over the inclined surface 22 on the cutter retaining bar 18 without danger of injury through cracking or breaking, while the body of the piece of'eork is passed straight along the slanting surface 20 on the knife jaw 16. It

is to be understood that by the term block of cork material is meant broadly anysheet of material that is of sufficient thickness to undergo splitting operations. Preferably, a large number of pieces of cork or other pieces of work will be operated upon to remove one layer from each piece of work before adjusting the machine to remove a second layer of the same or of a different thickness from the remainder of each piece of work. In this way, adjustment of the parts will be less frequently necessary than if attempt were made to cut one piece of 7 work such as a piece of corkinto all of the desired layers one after another. In the latter way of operating it would be necessary to adjust for each layer removed which would make the Worktoo slow and laborious even with the means provided for quick and accurate adjustment of the feeding roll and table. I

' Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine of the character described, a cutter, work feeding means comprising a feed member, and a single means for adjust ing the feed member toward and away from the plane of the cutter and for locking it in adjusted position, said last-mentioned means comprising a carrier for the feed member and a worm and gear for moving the carrier.

2. In a machine of the character described, a cutter, means comprising a feed member for feeding work to the cutter, a work supporting table, means for simultaneously adjusting the table andthe feed member in directions toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter and means for supporting the table and, the feed member for yielding movement as a unit to accommodate variousthiclmesses of stock.

'3. In a ma chine of the character described,

a cutter for operating on pieces of work, a gage at one side of the. plane of the cutter, means for feeding the work comprising a feed member. means foryieldingly supporting the feed member, and a work supporting table mounted to move with the feed memher as the latter movesthrough operation of the yielding supporting means to accommodate itself todift'erences in the thickness of the work pieces.

4. In a machine of the class described, a cutter, means comprising a feed roll for feeding work to the cutter, means for adjusting the feed roll toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter and means for adjusting the t/able and the feed 2 roll in directions toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter, and for locking themin adjusted position, and means for yieldingly supporting the table to enable the latter to accommodate work of various thicknesses between itself and the cutter.

' 6. 'In a machine of the character described, a band knife cutter, means comprising a feed roll for feeding Work to the cutter, a pair of blocks having journals for rotatably supporting the feed roll, a work supporting table secured to the blocks, members for slidably guiding and supporting the blocks, spring means'within the guiding and supporting members for yieldingly supporting the blocks, and means for adjusting the guid' ing and supporting members in directions toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter whereby both the table and the feed roll may be adjusted to accomn'iodate pieces of work of various thicknesses and also thickness variations in each individual piece of work.

7. In a. machine of the character described, a band knife cutter, means comprising a feed rollfor feeding work to the cutter, a pair of blocks for supporting the feed roll, a supporting and guiding member for each block, spring means between each block and its guiding and supporting member for yieldin'gly supporting the blocks and the feed roll, a rack carried by each supporting and guiding member, a gear co-operating with each rack, and a worm and worm gear for rotating the first mentioned gears,

.the feed vroll into d .latter may adjust itself carrier 'for the feed roll whereby the supporting members for the feed roller may be adjusted upwardly and downwardly in a vertical direction to bring ed relation with respect to the muting er g of the cutter. 8. in a machine of tha character described, a cutter, means comprising a feed :roll for feeding work to the cutter,.a work supporting table adjustable about the axis of the feed roll to vary the inclination of the Work to the plane of thecutting edge of the cut- .ter, means for yieldinglysupporting the feed roll and the table .so that these two parts move as one member-to accommodate variationsin'the thicknessdimension'ot a piece of work, and means for adjusting the feed roll and the table simultaneously to adapt the machine to .operate upon pieces of work .of different thicknesses.

.9. Ina machine of the character described, aicutter, means comprising a feed roll for feeding work to the cutter, means for yieldingly supporting the feed =roll so that the to variations in the .a piece of work, a and for its yielding supporting means, and a memberinovable selectively through measured distances for adjusting the carrier and locking it in adjusted position so-that the feed roll may be made to accommodatepieces of work of different thicknesses.

10. In a machine of the character de scribed, a cutter, means comprising a feed roll for feeding work to the cutter, a workguiding table adjustable about the axis of the feed roll to vary the inclination of the work to the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter, and spring means for supporting both the feed roll and the table so that they move yieldingly as a unit during cutting operations.

11. In a machine of the character described, a cutter, means comprising a feed thickness dimension of roll for feeding work to the cutter, a work guiding table adjustable about the axis of the feed roll to vary the inclination of the work to the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter, hand-operated rack and pinion means for adjusting the feed roll and the table simultaneously to adapt the machine to operate upon pieces of work of different thicknesses, and spring means for yieldingly supporting the feed roll and the table for self-adjusting movement as a unit with respect to the work.

12.1n a machine of the character described, a hand knife cutter, a gage roll at one side of the plane of the cutter, means for feeding work to the cutter, work guiding means having upper and lower surfaces which diverge away from the cutting edge of the cutter to serve as a guiding surface, the lower surface serving as a guide for the body of the work, and a work supporting 13. In a machine of the character d e-- scribed,,-a cutter, means "for feeding Work to the cutter, supporting means forthe cutter comprising a- ,cutter jaw having a slanting surface for directing the hody of the work away from the layer being cut "by the cutter, and a work-guiding table mounted to have its work-guiding surface spaced from the plane of the slanting surface onthe cutter jaw and substantially parallel there with whereby the body of the workis guided along in a single plane during the cutting operation. I

14. *In a machine OfLthe class described, a cutter, means for feeding Work to the cutter, means having upper and lower work guid ing surfaces divergingaway from the cutting edge of the cutter to direct the body of the work and the layer being out therefrom away from each other, thelower Workguiding surface serving as a guide for the body of the work, and a workguiding table mounted to have its work-guiding surface substantiallyparallel to the described lower work-guiding surface;

scribed, a cutter, agage roll at one side of the plane of the cutter, means for feeding a block of cork to the cutter, means having upper and lower surfaces each operative for directing a split portion of the cork away from the plane of the cutter, and a table having a work guiding surface and arranged to be adjusted to vary the angle its work supporting-surface makes with respect to either of the work-directing surfaces, the work-guiding surface of the table being spaced from the plane of the lower surface of said directing means in substantial parallelism therewith to guide and control the body of the cork block.

16. In a machine of the character described, a cutter, means/for feeding work to the cutter, spring means for supporting the feeding means, a table also supported by the spring means, and means for adjusting the feeding means and its spring supporting means in directions toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter.

17. In a machine of the character described, a cutter, means comprising a feed roll for feeding work to the cutter, power means for driving the feed roll, a carrier for the feed roll, journal blocks for the feed roll slidably mounted in the carrier, spring means within the carrier for yieldingly supporting the journal blocks of the feed roll, and means for adjusting the carrier in directions toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter whereby both the M 15. In a machine of the character defeed roll and its spring supporting means may be adjusted to apply substantially uniform pressure on pieces of work of different thicknesses. Y

18. In a machine of the character described, a cutter, feeding means comprising a feed roll'for feeding work to the cutter, power means for driving the feed roll, a member for co-operation with the feed roll in feeding the work, spring means for supporting the feeding means, and means for adjusting the feeding means and its spring supporting means in directions toward and supporting the feed roll, and means for adjusting the feed roll and its spring supporting meansin directions toward and from the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter.

20. In a machine of the character described, a work support, a cutter for splitting sheet material, means for feeding the material to the cutter, guiding surfaces for directing the body portion and the split off portion of the material away from each other on opposite sides of the cutter, and

means for relatively adjusting the work support and the guiding surfaces so as to guide the body portion of the material without substantial bending as it is fed past the cutter.

21. In. a machine of the character described, a support for a block of cork, a band knife cutter for splitting layers from the block, a member for supporting and guiding thevcutter and having upper and lower guiding surfaces for directing split portions of the block away from each other at opposite sides of the cutter, said member and block support being relatively adjustable so as to predetermine the angle between the surface of the block support and the guiding surface for the layer split from the block whereby bending of said layer may be kept within a predetermined limit of safety, and a gage above the band knife for determining the thickness of the split from the body of the block of cork, the supporting surface of the support being spaced from the plane of the lower guiding surface of said member and substantially parallel therewith for guiding the block of cork.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

' ALFRED E. SUTTIS.

DAVID EDGAR.

ICERTIFIGATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,644,961. Grantee October 11, 1927, to

ALFRED E. SUTTIS ET AL.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the orinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 114 to 116,

strike out the word "frame, the other end ofthe counter shaft carrying a second toothed"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the some may conform to the record of the case 131 the Patent Office.

Signed and scaled this 1st day of May, A. D. 1928.

J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

